Silhouette of a man standing in a desert at sunset with rocky mountains in the distance.

In the Field with Matt Williams

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In the Field with Matt Williams

Follow along with our Director of Conservation and Bird Program Lead, Matt Williams, as he documents a cross-country journey to photograph and study declining bird species across the western United States.

Henslow's Sparrow

Declining Sparrows Project

by Birds

Declining Sparrows Project

Grassland and open savanna birds are among the most rapidly declining species groups in North America. The Declining Sparrows Project focuses on two species that depend on fire-maintained, open habitats: Bachman’s Sparrow and Henslow’s Sparrow. Both are considered “tipping point” species, having lost more than half of their populations within the last fifty years.

At Nokuse Land Conservancy, long-term habitat restoration and prescribed fire offer a rare opportunity to better understand and reverse these declines.
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Why These Sparrows Matter

Bachman’s and Henslow’s Sparrows are specialists of open pine savannas, grasslands, and early-successional habitats - ecosystems that have been widely lost or degraded due to development, agricultural conversion, and fire suppression.

Because these sparrows are secretive, difficult to observe, and poorly studied, population trends and habitat needs remain poorly understood. Their declines signal broader problems across grassland and savanna ecosystems, making them important indicators of landscape health.

Bachman's Sparrow

Once widespread across the southeastern United States, Bachman’s Sparrow has experienced decades of population decline and has been extirpated from several states where it was formerly common. The species is now classified as a tipping point bird by the North American Bird Conservation Initiative.

At Nokuse, Bachman’s Sparrows breed on site and are present year-round. They rely on open longleaf pine savanna with a diverse grassy understory maintained by frequent fire. For much of the year, these sparrows remain low and hidden in vegetation, making them difficult to detect. They are most visible in early spring, when males perch higher to sing and establish territories.

Henslow's Sparrow

Once widespread across the southeastern United States, Bachman’s Sparrow has experienced decades of population decline and has been extirpated from several states where it was formerly common. The species is now classified as a tipping point bird by the North American Bird Conservation Initiative.

At Nokuse, Bachman’s Sparrows breed on site and are present year-round. They rely on open longleaf pine savanna with a diverse grassy understory maintained by frequent fire. For much of the year, these sparrows remain low and hidden in vegetation, making them difficult to detect. They are most visible in early spring, when males perch higher to sing and establish territories.

Research & Monitoring at Nokuse

Due to the limited information available for both species, a new research initiative will begin during the 2025–2026 winter season to better understand how Bachman’s and Henslow’s Sparrows use habitat at Nokuse. This research will help determine how land management practices can be refined to better support these species and guide conservation efforts beyond Nokuse.

Key components of the research include:

  • Locating and capturing individual birds
  • Fitting sparrows with color bands and radio transmitters
  • Tracking habitat use and movement across the property
  • Evaluating responses to prescribed fire and ongoing restoration
  • Studying migratory behavior, particularly for Henslow’s Sparrow

The Role of Habitat Restoration & Fire

Both Bachman’s and Henslow’s Sparrows depend on habitats shaped by frequent, low-intensity fire. Prescribed fire helps:

  • Maintain open forest and grassland structure
  • Reduce woody encroachment
  • Encourage diverse herbaceous groundcover
  • Create the conditions these sparrows require to forage and nest

Restored habitat at Nokuse features longleaf pine overstory with a rich, grassy understory - conditions that are increasingly rare across the Southeast and Midwest.

Leadership & Partnerships

The Declining Sparrows Project at Nokuse is coordinated on site by biologist Charli Morgan and led by Dr. Kate Richardson, Director of the Stoddard Bird Lab at Tall Timbers Research Station near Tallahassee, Florida. This work is supported through the expertise and collaboration of partners including Matt Aresco, Biologist and Executive Director at Nokuse; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the Sentinel Landscapes initiative; and the Sam Shine Foundation, among others.

Looking Ahead

By studying how these rare sparrows respond to restoration and fire, the Declining Sparrows Project will help shape more effective conservation strategies - not only at Nokuse, but across the broader range of these species.

Protecting Bachman’s and Henslow’s Sparrows means protecting the grassland and savanna ecosystems they depend on. In doing so, this work supports countless other plants and animals that rely on the same habitats, and helps preserve a disappearing part of North America’s natural heritage.
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Red-cockaded Woodpecker Reintroduction

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Red-cockaded Woodpecker Reintroduction

The Red-cockaded Woodpecker (RCW) is a keystone species of the longleaf pine ecosystem - one that depends on mature, open pine savannas shaped by frequent fire. Once widespread across the southeastern United States, the species declined dramatically as longleaf forests were cleared and natural fire cycles were disrupted.

At Nokuse Land Conservancy in Florida’s panhandle, decades of large-scale habitat restoration have created a rare opportunity: the reestablishment of a species that was locally extirpated generations ago.
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Sparrow Habitat at Nokuse
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RCW Bands

Why the Red-cockaded Woodpecker Matters

Red-cockaded Woodpeckers( RCW) are uniquely tied to old, living longleaf pine trees, where they excavate nesting and roosting cavities over many years. These cavities become critical habitat not only for RCWs, but also for a wide range of other birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects - making the species an important driver of biodiversity.

By the late 20th century, habitat loss, fire suppression, and forest degradation caused RCW populations to collapse. The species was listed as federally endangered in 1970. After more than five decades of conservation efforts, the bird was downlisted to federally threatened in 2024. While this marks meaningful progress, populations remain low and continued, active management is essential for long-term recovery.

A Landscape

Ready for Reintroduction

Located in northwest Florida, Nokuse Land Conservancy protects more than 55,000 acres of sandhill uplands, scrubby flatwoods, wet prairie, and cypress-gum swamp. Much of the preserve was historically longleaf pine savanna but was altered by agriculture, silviculture, and industrial uses.

Through decades of restoration - including reforestation, invasive species removal, and frequent prescribed fire - Nokuse is being returned to an uneven-aged, old-growth longleaf pine system capable of supporting a full suite of native species. Today, the site supports more than a dozen state- or federally listed plants and animals and requires ongoing, active management to maintain these conditions.

The Reintroduction Effort

Although many native species have returned to Nokuse, the Red-cockaded Woodpecker remained absent. In 2025, after years of habitat restoration, the Sam Shine Foundation and project partners began working with RCW experts to assess whether forest conditions at Nokuse could once again support the species.

Excavating cavities requires significant time and energy for RCWs. Providing artificial cavities helps birds establish territories more quickly. As populations grow, the woodpeckers will begin excavating their own cavities, restoring a natural process that benefits many other species.

Key components of the project include:

  • Habitat surveys to determine whether trees are large enough to support nesting
  • Baseline population assessments conducted as part of establishing a Safe Harbor Agreement
  • Installation of artificial nesting and roost cavities, a proven tool for accelerating population recovery
  • Preparation for future translocation, with the goal of establishing a genetically diverse, self-sustaining population
  • International collaboration to protect migration corridors and South American wintering habitats

Long-Term Management & Monitoring

Successful RCW recovery depends on continued, science-based land management. At Nokuse, this includes:

  • Frequent prescribed fire to maintain open savanna structure
  • Removal of hardwood encroachment and invasive species
  • Ongoing population monitoring to track nesting success and expansion

These actions ensure the habitat remains suitable not only for RCWs, but for the broader longleaf pine ecosystem.

Partnerships & Leadership

The Red-cockaded Woodpecker project at Nokuse is led on site by biologist Charli Morgan and supported by a diverse network of partners. Contributors include Matt Aresco, Biologist and Executive Director at Nokuse; Rob Meyer, Red-cockaded Woodpecker Biologist at Tall Timbers Research Station; Mark Bailey of Conservation Southeast; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the Sentinel Landscapes initiative; and the Sam Shine Foundation, among many others. This collaborative approach brings together scientific expertise, land management experience, and long-term conservation investment.

Education & Community Engagement

In addition to ecological restoration, Nokuse serves as a regional hub for conservation education. A large-scale education program reaches thousands of local fourth- and seventh-grade students each year through:

  • An exhibit hall
  • Live animal demonstrations
  • A theater
  • Guided nature hikes

These experiences help connect young people to conservation work on the ground and inspire future stewards of the land.

Looking Ahead

The Red-cockaded Woodpecker reintroduction at Nokuse represents a powerful example of what long-term commitment to habitat restoration can achieve. By combining decades of forest recovery with targeted species reintroduction, the project aims to contribute meaningfully to regional and species-wide recovery.

As RCWs return to Nokuse, their presence will signal not only the recovery of a single species but the resilience of an entire ecosystem restored through science, partnership, and sustained care.
Cerulean Warbler (1)

Southern Indiana Cerulean Warbler BirdScape (SICWB)

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Southern Indiana Cerulean
Warbler BirdScape (SICWB)

The Cerulean Warbler is a small, striking blue songbird whose presence signals the health of mature eastern forests. Once common across large portions of the eastern United States, the species has experienced dramatic declines over the last several decades—making it one of the most urgent bird conservation priorities in North America.

The Sam Shine Foundation’s Cerulean Warbler conservation work is centered on a comprehensive, landscape-scale effort known as the Southern Indiana Cerulean Warbler BirdScape (SICWB).
Sparrow Habitat at Nokuse
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RCW Bands

Why the Cerulean Warbler Matters

Since 1970, Cerulean Warblers have experienced a global population decline of more than 70 percent, including significant losses in Indiana, where the species still maintains an important breeding population. The primary drivers of this decline include habitat loss and degradation across breeding, migration, and wintering areas.

Cerulean Warblers depend on large, intact tracts of high-quality oak-hickory forest with complex canopy structure. These habitats are increasingly rare due to forest fragmentation, altered management practices, and land-use change. Because of their specific habitat needs, Cerulean Warblers are considered a strong indicator species for forest health—when conditions are right for them, many other species benefit as well.

A Full Life-Cycle

Conservation Approach

The Sam Shine Foundation takes a full life-cycle conservation approach to Cerulean Warbler recovery. While improving breeding habitat in southern Indiana is essential, it represents only one piece of a much larger puzzle.

Cerulean Warblers migrate thousands of miles each year, traveling through the United States, the Caribbean, and Central America before spending the winter months in South America. To be effective, conservation efforts must ensure birds have access to suitable habitat at every stage of their life cycle - including migration stopover sites and wintering grounds.

By addressing threats and opportunities across this entire range, the Foundation aims to create lasting population recovery rather than short-term gains.

Cerulean Warbler BirdScape (SICWB)

In March 2025, the Sam Shine Foundation convened more than thirty experts to begin developing a coordinated strategy to reverse Cerulean Warbler declines in southern Indiana. This collaborative effort became the Southern Indiana Cerulean Warbler BirdScape (SICWB).

The BirdScape model recognizes that meaningful conservation must happen at a landscape scale - across property boundaries, ownership types, and jurisdictions.

Key components of the SICWB include:

  • Habitat restoration and protection, with a focus on high-quality oak-hickory forests
  • Science and research to better understand population trends, habitat use, and limiting factors
  • Outreach and education to increase awareness and engagement among landowners and communities
  • Policy coordination to support conservation-friendly forest management
  • International collaboration to protect migration corridors and South American wintering habitats

Partners engaged in this work include organizations such as the American Bird Conservancy, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, Central Indiana Land Trust, Purdue University, and international partners including SELVA and the Cerulea Environmental Association.  By aligning expertise, funding, and on-the-ground action, the BirdScape is building a coordinated path toward recovery.

Our Commitment

The Sam Shine Foundation has committed $3 million to the Southern Indiana Cerulean Warbler BirdScape - underscoring its long-term commitment to this work. While Cerulean Warblers are the focal species, the benefits extend far beyond a single bird.

Restoring and managing oak-hickory forests in Indiana is expected to support other declining species such as the Eastern Whip-poor-will and Red-headed Woodpecker, as well as a wide range of mammals, insects, and plants that depend on these increasingly rare forest systems.

Our Impact

The Sam Shine Foundation is deeply committed to this work. The Cerulean Warbler is one of seven ambassador species around which we are building comprehensive conservation strategies, and to date the Foundation has committed $3 million to the Southern Indiana Cerulean Warbler BirdScape effort.

While this initiative focuses on Cerulean Warblers, the benefits extend far beyond a single species. Restoring high-quality oak-hickory forests in Indiana is expected to support other declining birds such as the Eastern Whip-poor-will and Red-headed Woodpecker, as well as a wide range of mammals, insects, and other wildlife that rely on these increasingly rare habitats.

Looking Ahead

The Sam Shine Foundation is deeply committed to this work. The Cerulean Warbler is one of seven ambassador species around which we are building comprehensive conservation strategies, and to date the Foundation has committed $3 million to the Southern Indiana Cerulean Warbler BirdScape effort.

While this initiative focuses on Cerulean Warblers, the benefits extend far beyond a single species. Restoring high-quality oak-hickory forests in Indiana is expected to support other declining birds such as the Eastern Whip-poor-will and Red-headed Woodpecker, as well as a wide range of mammals, insects, and other wildlife that rely on these increasingly rare habitats.